Professional Football Against Hunger

Thursday 19th March 2009

The Scottish Premier League (SPL), the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) join forces to organise the first ever Europe-wide football campaign against hunger, being held from 20 to 22 March.

This weekend’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches will be used as a platform to promote the ‘Professional Football Against Hunger’ campaign.

Players will wear t-shirts; tannoy announcements will be heard and website articles will be published; all aimed at raising awareness of the FAO’s work in helping 963 million people across the world who are victims of hunger.

Fans will see similar action across Europe. Major leagues in Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal and Holland will also be involved amongst others.

Lex Gold, Executive Chairman of the SPL, said: "Our clubs do a great deal of work in their communities to help people here in Scotland. But our clubs are well supported all across the world and this is a way we can do something for those less fortunate in other countries. We are keen to raise awareness of poverty to help tackle hunger and its causes."

The Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy MP, welcomed the initiative.

He said: "It is great to see the SPL teams getting behind this Europe-wide action against hunger. Football is a unifying force across the globe and it brings people together around a common interest - using that community to do good and help eradicate the scourge of hunger is a worthwhile cause fans and other members of the public should support."

To find out more or to pledge your support visit the home of the campaign